Here are five things we learned from Rams OTAs and minicamp
The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up minicamp in Hawai’i on Wednesday. With the conclusion of minicamp, the Rams will now break until July 22 when they begin training camp. While the pads won’t come on until later in the summer, there was still plenty to learn. Here is a quick look at several things we learned and some takeaways from OTAs and minicamp.
1. The Rams May Have Found Something in Emmanuel Forbes
Last season, the Rams took a gamble when they claimed former first round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off of waivers. Forbes had been drafted 16th overall by the Washington Commanders in 2023 and due to his frame and lack of schematic fit, he didn’t work. When the Commanders had a regime change, Forbes was cut midseason. While he didn’t play a lot for the Rams last year, Forbes will have an offseason to develop. As it stands, he seems to be a player that the Rams are excited about in the early summer. Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula,
“Forbes has done a great job thus far. We were really excited about him in the middle of the year…It’s nice to see how smart he is, see him communicate, and he does a really nice job.”
Forbes’ name has consistently come up in OTAs and minicamp. While he may not start over Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, or Cobie Durant, Forbes is at least good depth to have. If Williams struggles, the Rams may opt to give Forbes an opportunity. Forbes will need to keep this momentum through training camp, but the early signs are positive.
2. Rams are Content with the Cornerback Room
A serious argument can be made that the Rams should have selected a cornerback in the first, second, or third round of the NFL Draft. Instead, they didn’t address the position at all. There was some speculation that the Rams would trade for Jalen Ramsey. It’s possible they are being publicly indifferent, but as it stands, the Rams seem to be content with the current group. Said McVay,
“I think that the way that guys will approach, similar to the previous question, there are a lot of young guys, or maybe even guys that are new to the Rams but have accumulated a bunch of experience that I think are only going to continue to take steps.”
McVay has stated multiple times that he’s comfortable with where the Rams are at the position. While they cut Derion Kendrick for cap reasons, they opted to bring him back. Whether or not it’s the correct decision, the Rams feel good about this group. It doesn’t appear they are in any hurry to make an addition to the secondary.
3. Rookies Still Figuring it Out
Multiple things can be true when it comes to the Rams rookies. There are certainly reasons to be excited about this group. At the same time, at this point in the offseason, it’s still the very early stages of the development process. With no pads, coaches aren’t evaluating players on the field one way or the other. Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said as much, “We’re out here and playing flag football, right? I’m not gonna evaluate that one way or the other, good or bad.” Quarterback Matthew Stafford echoed that as well when talking about rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson,
“Again, it’s all a development at this stage. We’re just trying to figure out who we’re going to be as a team. Everybody is trying to figure out how they can get better as a player, and he’s no different.”
At this point last year, many were excited about Blake Corum as he was taking starting reps with Kyren Williams out. The important thing from the last month will be for the rookies to take what they’ve learned in team meetings and install periods and carry that progress into training camp next month.
4. Davante Adams is Fitting Right In
There wasn’t ever really any doubt that Davante Adams would be a seamless fit in the Rams offense. However, that has been emphasized over the last few weeks of OTAs and minicamp. Adams and Stafford are beginning to build a connection. As Stafford said during OTAs,
“I’m doing everything I can to try to bring him along in our offense as fast as possible. He understands the game so that’s great. We just go out there and all work together, try to be as good as we can.”
While these early reps don’t come with a lot of intensity, it’s still an important period of these two players building that chemistry. Stafford is beginning to learn where Adams likes the ball placed on certain routes. Conversely, Adams is learning how Stafford throws the ball. There is still a lot of learning to be done, but unlike 2022 and Allen Robinson, Stafford isn’t limited with an elbow issue. Adams and Stafford should be able to build a good rapport through training camp leading up to the season.
5. Rams Are Threading a Needle on Offensive Line
The Rams have barely started practicing and are already down their starting left tackle as Alaric Jackson deals with blood clots. To be proactive about the situation, the Rams signed DJ Humphries and David Quessenberry. The signings of Humphries and Quessenberry is a reminder of the thin line that the Rams are navigating when it comes to the offensive front. This is a team that didn’t draft a tackle and are instead trusting the development of Warren McClendon and others.
Offensive line injuries are going to derail most offenses in the NFL. The Rams are fortunate enough to have signed Humphries who brings a lot of experience. At the same time, during a period in which it’s important to start building cohesiveness, the Rams are starting behind. That cohesion now has less time to be built in training camp. This is a group that needs to stay healthy through the offseason. Another long-term injury could prove costly.